Alone For Christmas
by SingerMe
Summary: A holiday party doesn't work out exactly as planned.
1. Chapter 1

**Alone for Christmas**

I don't own these characters. I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had than that.

 **AN: This Christmas, as you spend time with loved ones and friends, please remember those who have no family, or no home or none of the richness this season can offer. Share your time and your love with them when you can and you will never go wrong. Merry Christmas, Everyone. And a Very Happy New Year.**

 **XxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"What is your husband getting you for Christmas?" Mrs. Pride asked Mrs. Newton as they looked over a table of fabric at Jonas' store.

"Oh, he won't say, of course." Melba Newton shrugged. "But I'm certain it's that tea set I want. After all, I've only been hinting about it for a month now."

Wilma Pride giggled. "I know what you mean. I've been hinting pretty hard myself about that dresser set we found in the catalog. You know the one. The silver one with the fancy etching?"

"Oh, yes, I remember." Melba nodded. "Well, I'm sure the both of us will get what we want. I mean after all," she winked at her friend and nodded in Kitty Russell's direction, "that's what you get when you do the decent thing and marry your man instead of just being his whore."

"Yeah, _and_ we never have to be alone for Christmas, either." Wilma snidely put in.

As the two women giggled and moved further into Mr. Jonas' store, Kitty took a deep breath, turned and left the store. Though not unused to such barbs tossed her way, and she had no doubt they were aimed directly at her, she still didn't care for them and didn't intend to stand and listen to them.

Besides, their words stung a little. Though she knew of nothing he had planned, it wasn't too often that Matt spent Christmas in town with her and she wasn't going to count on him being there this year.

"Kitty?" Doc caught up to her just outside the store's entrance as she exited. "How are you today?"

"Ah, I'm just fine, Doc." Kitty smiled at her friend. "You?"

Doc glanced into the store and saw the two women before replying. "Well, I'm doing alright. But are you sure you are?"

Kitty saw the direction of his gaze and shook her head. "If you mean those two, don't worry. They don't bother me that much. They're two old bitties with husbands who could care less about them and the only way they can make themselves feel better is to put someone else down."

"How do you know their husbands don't care about them?" Doc looked at her curiously.

"Where do you think Chuck Pride and Rafe Newton spend their Friday nights?" She arched a brow at him.

Chuckling, Doc shook his head and took her arm. "How about me taking you to breakfast and you telling me what is wrong then."

"Who said anything is wrong?" She questioned.

"The look on your face when you came out of there." Doc answered.

"You know me too well." Kitty chuckled as she linked her arm with his and they walked down to the cafe.

After Joe had taken their orders, Doc sat back and gave Kitty a speculative look. "Okay, what is it. If Wilma Pride and Melba Newton didn't get to you, then what did? You seemed a little…"

"I wasn't upset, Doc." Kitty shook her head. "At least not at those two. But they did give me something to think about."

"Oh, like what?" Doc leaned forward and took a sip of his already cold coffee.

"Like being alone on Christmas." She answered soberly. "I mean, alone as in no husband or really any family. It's not easy you know."

"I know," Doc nodded, "but you're not really alone, Kitty. You've got Matt and me and Chester and…"

"Do I?" She looked over at him with lips pursed and brow arched. "I mean, Matt's usually chasing after some outlaw on the holidays, any holiday, and you're sometimes out on the prairie somewhere tending to someone sick and Chester… well, if he's not with Matt, he surely isn't with me. Usually he's chasing after one of my girls or standing close to the punch bowl. This Christmas is most likely going to be just like most of the ones I've spent my entire life, silent and lonely."

Doc dropped his head, understanding completely what she meant. It wasn't easy sitting on the sidelines watching as others spent time with their spouses and children, knowing that you'd never have that. Knowing that no matter the liveliness of whatever party you attended or the sincerity of whomever the host of that party, you were essentially a fifth wheel in a world that doesn't need one. And you would eventually go home alone, to a cold bed and an empty house full of nothing but stuff.

Finally looking back up at her, he shrugged. "I get what you're saying, Kitty, but there's no help for it that I know of. I'm certainly not going to rush into marriage with someone so that I won't be alone this Christmas and I sure can't see you doing it, unless the right man asked." He added with a wink.

"And we both know he won't do that." Kitty sighed, ignoring Doc's attempt at teasing.

Doc didn't argue, because there was no argument to that. Matt had made it completely clear from the first that he would not marry. But he couldn't just sit there and let her grieve over something that couldn't be remedied.

"How about if I promised not to leave town at all on Christmas day and to spend the entire evening with you?" He smiled his brightest. "I'm not Matt but I'm pretty good company if I do say so myself."

Kitty offered him a half smile but shook her head. "You can't promise that, Doc. If someone needed your help, regardless of the day or hour, you'd go and I'd expect you to. Besides, that's like putting a small patch on a deep wound. It wouldn't help. You would eventually go home and I'd be alone. And don't," she raised a hand in warning, "suggest you stay all night. I wouldn't let you do that either."

"Then what's the remedy?" He asked.

"I don't know." Kitty answered. "I just don't know."

But later that day, as Kitty diligently worked on her books and then began doing inventory, a plan of sorts began to take place in her mind. Though it wouldn't guarantee that she wouldn't go to bed alone, it would guarantee that she wouldn't go to bed unhappy.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you think, Doc?" Kitty asked the next day as they sat at a back table at the Long Branch and talked.

"I think you're putting yourself to a whole lot of trouble." Doc told her. "First of all, Christmas is only a few days away, you know. And secondly, what you're talking about is not going to be cheap. And then there's all the work involved and…"

"I know all of that." Kitty waved him off. "And I've already got most of that figured out. I just need to get the word out and I was hoping you would help me. Well, you and Chester and Matt. Just tell anyone, who has no one to spend Christmas with, to come here. I'll make sure there's plenty of food and drink and we'll have a wonderful time." Kitty smiled. "So will you do it, Doc? Will you help me?"

Doc took a scrub of his mustache as he shook his head. "Well, I still think you're crazy for wanting to do this on such short notice but I guess I'm just as bad. I'll help you and what's more, I'll get others to help me too. Now what do you think about that?"

"I think you're wonderful." She grinned.

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity for the happy red head. She'd put as many friends and employees to work on the project as she could. She'd spent hours at Jonas' store, purchasing supplies needed for the meal as well as picking out just the right presents for Matt, Doc, Chester and Sam, as well as gifts for the girls that worked for her. The Long Branch was decorated and a large tree was located, cut and brought in for the festivities.

With Ma Smalley's help as well as Kitty's own cooking talents, a veritable Christmas feast was either already cooked or soon to be cooked for the big day.

Kitty was thrilled at how well her plans were going and even more thrilled that so far, Matt hadn't had to rush out of town to chase some outlaw and Doc hadn't been called out to tend some sick person miles out on the prairie. They, along with Chester as well as the many others, she was sure would attend, were going to make this Christmas the best for all of them.

But as good as things looked the morning of December 25th, they quickly began to look a whole lot worse by late that morning.

About ten o'clock it began to snow. At first it appeared to be just a light dusting but as the hours of the day progressed, the snow got heavier. Still, Kitty wasn't too worried. It meant that some of the cowboys and farmers outside of Dodge proper might not get to come but she was certain there would still be plenty of people to come to the Long Branch, including her friends.

But around noon, two young men, looking to take advantage of the snow and the holiday, made a bold attempt to rob the freight office. Matt shot one of them off his horse as he tried to ride off with the stolen money. But the other boy, sans the money bags, did manage to get away.

While Chester went for their horses, Matt offered a quick apology to Kitty for the apparent fact that he and Chester might miss her party if they couldn't apprehend the man quickly. Kitty accepted it with a saddened sigh, but consoled herself in the knowledge that even though she might not have the man she loved beside her, she'd still have Doc's company and would proudly be able to say she had helped so many lonely people on this Christmas day.

Shortly after that, Keith, the young man that sometimes worked for Moss Grimmick, stopped in with an apology from Moss, explaining he was feeling a bit under the weather and wouldn't be at the party. Kitty accepted the apology and made the boy take some food back to Moss before he left to go back to his own family.

About an hour after that, a rider came into Dodge, yelling loudly for Doc. The rider lived in a tiny settlement, several miles out of Dodge. It seemed several people there were down sick and desperately needed a doctor's care.

"You'd better go, Doc." Kitty smiled bravely at him. "Looks like they really need you."

Doc nodded, collected his bag and followed the man out.

"Sure doesn't look good for your party, does it, Miss Kitty?" Evie, one of girls slid up beside her as she stood at the bat wing doors and watched Doc drive out into the increasingly heavy snow.

"No, I guess it doesn't." Kitty shook her head and closed the double doors against the cold, retreating to her office.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

An hour later, having resolved herself to spending Christmas without her closest friends and yet certain she would still have plenty of people there, Kitty emerged to an almost empty bar room. Sam was leaning glumly against the bar, looking at all of the food that they'd piled on its surface. Food that now looked like it wouldn't be eaten.

Kitty started to reassure him but quickly realized she wasn't too reassured herself of a good outcome to this day. "Where's Evie and Jane?" She asked, noticing her other two employees were nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, Jane asked if she could take the night off to spend with Ted Jakes, you know, that cowboy she's been seeing. I told her to go ahead since it doesn't look like we're going to be all that busy anyway. And Evie went up to her room sick. Not sure what was ailing her but if it's something catching, I didn't figure you'd want anyone else to catch it."

"Well, you're right about that." Kitty sighed.

Just then, a man stumbled into the saloon, forcefully closing the doors to the howling wind that had picked up considerably and was trying to chase him inside. "Whoa, sure is bad out there." He shook his head as he moved quickly towards the pot-bellied stove. "You mind if I warm my hands a mite?" He asked. "It's mighty cold out there."

"Go right ahead." Kitty nodded at him. "You been riding in this?" She asked.

"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded. "Had to get to town. I was afraid to try and spend the night out on the trail. As bad as it is out there, I wasn't sure I'd see morning alive."

Kitty took in the ragged and threadbare coat the man was wearing and saw no gloves and agreed with his summation. "Don't you have any warmer clothes?"

"Uh, no, Ma'am." He answered, ducking his head in embarrassment. "Things haven't been too good for me lately. I… well, it's just not been easy." As he spoke he looked longingly at the food on the bar top but quickly turned back towards the stove when he saw Kitty watching him. "I'll uh, get out of your way here, Ma'am, as soon as I warm my hands. It uh, looks like you're gonna have a party or something."

Kitty shook her head. "Well, I was, but I doubt it's going to happen now. Um, do you have any place to stay tonight or any money to buy a meal or anything?"

"Uh, no, Ma'am." He admitted. "I was going to see if the man over at the stable would let me work for him tonight in exchange for a stall for me and my horse. I figured I'd pick up something to eat later."

"Not in this storm you won't. It's pretty much shut down the town." Kitty nodded over at the bar. "Why don't you go on over there and get you something to eat and then settle down there by the fire for a while. I know the stable master is sick tonight so I'd doubt you'd get anywhere there."

"Well, I appreciate the offer, Ma'am." The ragged cowboy sighed. "But if that's true, then I still need to find a place for me and the horse tonight. You know of someplace I could go to?"

"Sam, would you mind taking this young man's horse to the stable and bedding him down?" Kitty smiled over at her bartender, knowing he wouldn't mind or refuse. Turning back to her guest, she pointed to the bar full of food. "Get you something to eat and relax over there by the fire. It's too bad out there for you to go out into it and as it seems I have a lot of food and no guests, you might as well help yourself."

"I'll be glad to work for the food, Ma'am." He offered, his dark eyes bearing witness to his honesty. "And I can sleep with my horse, wherever you took him."

"No, no need for that." Kitty shook her head. "The food was for a party that didn't happen. So just help yourself and don't worry about paying for it."

Grinning, the man nodded. "Thank you, Ma'am. I sure do appreciate that."

Quicker than a wink, the man with dark, slightly long hair quickly crossed to the bar and grabbed a plate, filling it to the brim with just about everything offered. Kitty hid a grin as she filled a mug with beer and brought it over to him. As she watched him wolf down his food, she noticed again his inadequate clothing. She could and would provide him with food and shelter for the duration of the storm, but she understood he needed more than that.

"Um, is that coat all you have?" She nodded at his thin jacket with frayed cuffs and missing buttons.

"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded self consciously. "Like I said, I ain't had it too good lately."

Looking at him, Kitty judged him to be about the same size as Chester and she'd just bought a new coat and scarf for him. 'I'll get another one for Chester after Christmas.' She told herself as she went over to the tree and extracted the box with Chester's name.

"Here," she handed over the box. "This ought to fit you. It'll be a lot warmer than what you've got there."

The man looked up, surprised. "Oh, no, Ma'am. I… I couldn't take that. I mean… well, I'm sure you bought that for someone else, maybe your husband or something and I couldn't take that from him."

"I bought it for a friend who has a warmer coat than what you have and who will be quite happy to wait for me to buy him another one." She pushed the box into the stranger's hands. "Besides, he's not in town right now. Now go ahead and take it."

Quickly, the man took the box, opened it and extracted the jacket, admiring the cut and material. Without further preamble, he rose, removed his torn and dirty rag of a jacket and replaced it with the one she'd given him. It was a perfect fit.

"I sure don't know how to thank you, Ma'am." He ran a hand down the lapel, marveling at the texture of the corduroy. "This is the finest coat I've ever had."

"No thanks needed." She smiled at him. "I'm just glad it fit. Now go ahead and sit back down and eat."

"Yes, Ma'am." He offered her a grateful smile.

Returning the smile, Kitty turned and walked back over to the bar with a sigh. 'Well, at least I have one guest.' She thought to herself.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

When Sam came back from stowing the man's horse at the stable, Kitty thanked him profusely and told him he should go on home. It was obvious there wasn't going to be anyone else coming and there was no need for him to stay.

But Sam shook his head. "No, Ma'am. I know it looks bad outside but it's early yet, we may still get some people in. Besides, I don't like leaving you here alone and if I did, I'd be alone."

Kitty smiled. "Alright. Thanks, Sam. Look, I'm going to my office, call if you need me."

"Sure will." He agreed.

Neither he nor Kitty noticed that the ragged stranger was no longer at the table.

Hours ticked by and still no one came and the storm outside seemed unabated. Kitty knew there was little hope or chance that anyone else would make their way to her doors this day and she decided it was time to go ahead and close up. The food that still lay uneaten on the bar top would be packed up and maybe tomorrow she and Sam could deliver to people around town who were shut in and unable to get out. But that would be tomorrow.

Tonight, she declared, she was going to her solitary room and climb into her solitary bed and most probably lie awake half the night feeling alone and lonely and scared half to death for Matt.

"Uh, Miss Kitty!" Sam's voice startled her and Kitty got up from her desk and came into the bar room. She couldn't believe her eyes as she stood and watched Doc coming in with a crowd of people behind him.

"Doc?" She made her way to his side. "What the..."

"Kitty, I hope you don't mind." Doc took a scrub of his mustache. "These people needed help. They were out of food and firewood and well, well, it was bad out there. I couldn't do them any good in those conditions and I thought well, if you didn't mind..."

"I don't mind at all!" She answered delightedly. "Sam!" She grinned happily at her smiling bar tender. "Lets get these people settled and comfortable." As the people poured in, Kitty looked over at Doc. "I'm glad you all made it here safely, Curly, but don't you think it was a bit risky to bring them out in this storm?"

"Yes, I did, as a matter of fact." Doc answered. "Especially the sick ones, but... well, it's hard to explain, but I just had this feeling that... well, that it'd be okay. You know that we'd make it. So I got the men that were able to get some wagons ready, and we loaded up and came in."

"I doubt that was too easy." Sam spoke up as he handed Doc a steaming hot cup of coffee.

"Thanks." Doc smiled gratefully. "No, actually, it wasn't too bad. I don't know why, but the worst of the wind just kinda blew around us instead of at us, if you know what I mean. I have no idea how, but we made it here without too much trouble at all."

"Well, I'm sure glad of that." Kitty smiled.

For the next hour, Kitty and Sam and Doc and Evie, who'd heard the commotion down stairs and suddenly declared herself well, worked tirelessly to feed and warm and comfort the group of people that Doc had brought in.

Though Kitty was happy that the food and decorations she'd gone to so much trouble and expense for would not be wasted, and that many people would be helped, she was still worried about Matt and Chester, somewhere out there in a raging storm in who knew what danger.

"Kitty, looks like your party was a success after all." Doc grinned as he tucked his thumbs into his vest pockets and looked around the full bar room.

"Yeah, I guess so." Kitty smiled but it didn't reach her eyes and Doc noticed.

"Matt will be fine." He patted her on the arm. "You know that."

"Sure." Kitty answered half heartedly.

Doc looked past her to the entrance of the saloon and smiled broadly. "Well, if you don't believe me, why don't you ask hiim yourself."

Kitty frowned at him and turned around to see Matt coming into the saloon, dragging a half grown kid behind him, both of them looking as frozen as Chester who entered just after.

"Matt!" She restrained herself from flying into his arms but just barely. "What..."

"Long story, Kitty." Matt answered. "Right now, we need warmth and food. I'll explain what happened later."

"I can wait." She smiled. "Just as long as you're home."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

After making sure the young man was settled on a hastily made pallet of blankets with a plate of food, Matt joined Kitty, Doc and Chester at a table in the back and gratefully took a seat. "Tell you what, it's not fit weather out there for anyone."

"No, it sure ain't." Chester agreed. "I'm just glad we didn't have to go no further than we did to find that kid."

"Me too." Matt nodded. "Guess we're just lucky he's as green as he is. His brother and he were broke and had no place to go so instead of asking for help, they decided it'd be a good idea to rob the freight office." Matt nodded at the silent young man, quietly eating his meal. "When he saw me shoot his brother, he took off in a panic with no idea where he was or where to go. He didn't even have a gun. His brother carried that. He's just a scared kid."

"A scared, half froze kid." Chester added. "I don't think he'd a lasted out there by himself. Us neither, if ya want the truth of it. Although it didn't seem to bother that fella that helped us none. Why he didn't even look cold at all. Of course, I understand with that nice corduroy coat and wool scarf he had on and all, feller'd find it awful hard to get cold in that."

Kitty's eyes narrowed as she looked at first Chester and then Matt. "What fella?"

"Not sure." Matt shrugged. "I've never seen him before. We were hunkered down in a small grove of trees, you know trying to get out of the worst of it. We had a small fire going, but I doubted we'd be able to keep it going since we couldn't find much wood and the wind was blowing so hard. But then this man just came walking in to where we were, leading his horse behind him."

"Yeah, he looked like he was just a walking in the sunshine, you know. Like it wasn't even bad out there or nothing." Chester put in. "He had kinda longish dark hair that didn't have a single snow flake in it."

"Well, what'd he say?" Doc wanted to know.

"Not much." Matt answered. "He asked if he could warm his hands by the fire and then asked us why we were sheltering out in those trees when Dodge was so close by."

"Close?" Doc and Kitty said in unison.

"Yeah." Chester nodded his head. "He said we was about a mile out of town and even pointed us in the right direction. I tell you, you could'a knocked me over with a feather when he told us that."

"Wait a minute." Kitty frowned. "You mean you didn't know where you were?"

Matt took a long drink of his coffee before replying. "Well, I thought I did. I know we passed old man Soloman's place as we chased that kid and we didn't catch up to him for at least another 4 or 5 miles past that. We immediately headed back this way but I doubt we got more than a mile or so before this storm forced us to find shelter."

"Well, Abe Soloman's place is at least 15 or so miles from here." Doc said as he tried to figure out the math. "You had to be at least that far away."

"I thought I was." Matt shrugged. "But apparently not. Cause when I looked in the direction that stranger pointed, I could see the lights of town here just as clear as a bell."

"In this storm?" Doc's expression made it obvious he didn't believe that. "I was out there and couldn't see my hand in front of my face."

"Yes, in this storm." Matt shook his head at him.

"Sure did." Chester confirmed. "Just as clear as anything."

"So you all just packed up and came to town?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah." Matt replied.

"Well, what about the stranger?" She asked. "Didn't he come with you?"

"No, no he didn't." Matt took another sip of his coffee, a troubled look on his face. "In fact, that was the strangest part of all. After pointing out Dodge to us, he helped us put out the fire and then just sorta disappeared while we were getting our horses. Weirdest thing. One minute he's there and the next he's gone. I couldn't see him anywhere."

"Well, with the storm going it way it is, I don't doubt it." Doc tugged at an ear lobe. "I still wonder how you saw the town lights."

Matt started to reply when he noticed the look on Kitty's face. "Something wrong?" He asked in concern.

"Let me think on it and I'll tell you later." Kitty answered. "What you say, we eat some more then go into my office and you all can open your presents?"

"That sounds like a plan." Doc grinned.

"Me too." Chester sounded just like a little boy as he quickly got up and moved to the tree.

Kitty suddenly remembered she'd given his present away and she rose to stop him when he pulled up a box and grinned happily at her. Kitty stopped and blanched. It was the same box she'd wrapped herself and then unwrapped earlier in the day. The same box that had held his coat and scarf. Flummoxed, she wasn't sure what to say or to do and so stood helpless as Chester quickly made his way to her office to see what he'd gotten.

Late that night, after everyone had been bedded down in the saloon and Doc had taken the sickest ones to his office, the fire in the stove had been built up and Chester, wearing his new corduroy coat and wool scarf, had taken the boy to the jail, Matt and Kitty lay curled up next to each other in her bed.

"I sure am glad you're home, Cowboy." Kitty smiled happily. "I don't mind telling you I was worried. The stronger that storm got, the more scared I got that I'd never see you again."

Matt chuckled. "To tell you the truth, I was about half convinced of that myself. At least until the stranger showed up and pointed out how close we were to home."

"Yeah, the stranger." Kitty sighed.

"What is it, Kitty?" Matt sat up and looked at her troubled face. "Do you know who that man might've been?"

"Yes... well, no... well, I don't know." Kitty swung her legs off the side of the bed and got up. "Truth is, I have no idea really. I just know that a man came in here today a little after noon and he was ragged and dirty and hungry and had no real coat or anything to wear in this weather. Since it didn't look like I was going to have anyone here to eat all the food I had and wasn't sure if or when you and Chester would come back, I gave him food and drink and the coat I had bought for Chester. I figured I'd buy Chester another one later on."

"But Chester got his coat." Matt pointed out clearly confused.

"Yes, but I don't know how." Kitty poured herself a small glass of brandy and then poured another for Matt, handing it to him before sitting back down. "Matt, I KNOW I gave that coat to that man and he put it on. And yet it didn't look like that package had ever been touched when Chester opened it. And another thing, I asked Sam and he never saw that man leave the saloon, neither did I. It was like he just disappeared. And then a man, you describe as looking just like the one that was here, shows up out there in the middle of nowhere, wearing a coat just like what I gave him and leads you and Chester to town in a blinding snow storm. It just doesn't make sense."

Matt sat silently for several moments before he reached for the bible Kitty kept on her nightstand. It was his mother's and he'd given it to her as a gift when he realized how important she was to him.

"I think I know who he was, Kitty." He said as he pointed to a passage and handed it to her to read.

Taking the book, Kitty looked down to where he'd pointed and read the passage. When she finished,Kitty looked back up at Matt with a frown. "Oh, Matt, you don't..."

"Don't I?"

Kitty read the passage again before softy closing the book and handing it back to Matt, who reverently placed it back on the nightstand.

"You know." She smiled. "I think I agree with you completely. Merry Christmas, Cowboy."

"Merry Christmas, Honey." Matt answered.

As the two shared a kiss, neither one saw the cover of the book come back open and the pages began to turn until the passage Matt had shown to Kitty was once again in view.

"Merry Christmas." A soft, unheard voice murmured.

 **Hebrews 13:2 - Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.**


End file.
